Shadowdark Shadowdark at Gary Con

Warpiglet-7 · 2026-03-22T01:37:43+0000

So stoked…first I got to play for the first time. Secondly I bought the book and cursed scrolls. Lastly I went to a Q&A with Kelsie.

I was blown away by the play. Fast, consequential…lean but flavorful.

I had to admit my biases too. I admit to wondering what a younger designer would bring to an old crusty style. Would she get it?

She got it and improved a lot of it. During the talk her understanding of the game and some its weaknesses impressed me further. The intentionality of the choices were only possible due to a deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the OSR style but also the strengths and weaknesses of the modern offerings.

Blown away.

darjr · 2026-03-22T01:38:34+0000

Love love Shadowdark!

Scribe · 2026-03-22T03:06:35+0000

I didnt realize I needed a signed copy...

Bill Zebub · 2026-03-22T05:40:45+0000

Scribe said:
I didnt realize I needed a signed copy...

Oh....damn.

/sigh

Warpiglet-7 · 2026-03-22T11:50:14+0000

Scribe said:
I didnt realize I needed a signed copy...

You don’t. I got it an was excited and then scraped the front cover with a minis case.

as much fun as I had playing, it was still good for me to hear the comments about her design choices and clear understanding of the game’s pitfalls going back decades. She is not a fad—-she gets it. This is not to me”just” a retroclone. This is fresh.

I wondered if I just had a great GM…but it was a combination of those things. Good designs and good GM.

This copy will get used a lot and banged up…that is the real score of the week!

Scribe · 2026-03-22T15:32:12+0000

Warpiglet-7 said:
You don’t.

Oh I think I do. Lol

Warpiglet-7 · 2026-03-22T16:46:23+0000

Scribe said:
Oh I think I do. Lol

I had mine personalized! Not up for grabs

But me gouging the cover an hour later is a good lesson. I covet treasure and it rusts!

No, the treasure was playing and knowing already I can GM this in like a week.

F-ing elegant and fun! We had a “guns of navarone” scenario. Get in, bomb the giant ballistas, get out!

Such fun…I had a premade chaotic female warlock. Casting silence helped us sneak! Shield wall as sea wolf held the hall. So fun…and not fiddly in any way